Cayetano predicts
$1 billion revenue loss

In New York City, he announces
free isle vacations for 1,200
Ground Zero workers

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By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.com

Hawaii may lose up to $1 billion in revenue this year because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Gov. Ben Cayetano said this morning in a special appearance CNBC.

Cayetano was featured on the financial television program Power Lunch, hosted by Bill Griffeth.

Cayetano is in New York on a tourist promotion trip. He told the American Society of Travel Agents convention yesterday that Hawaii was sponsoring 1,200 New York City Ground Zero rescue workers on vacations to Hawaii.

Local businesses and tourist industry organizations put together a package to provide free transportation and hotel rooms for 600 rescue workers to fly to Hawaii on two Hawaiian Airlines planes next month. The other 600 will come in groups of 50 a month during 2002.

The lucky workers will be selected by the New York Mayor's Office, Cayetano said.

Cayetano also said the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau is making a $125,000 donation to relief agencies in New York.

In his television appearance this morning, Cayetano said that while travel to Hawaii from the Mainland is back to nearly 95 percent of pre-Sept. 11 times, travel from Japan is down significantly.

Cayetano said that despite a trip to Japan by himself and others, Japanese tourism is still declining. He said it is expected to pick up within the next two to four months.

Cayetano is expected to return to Honolulu Nov. 14.